Steve? When have I EVER said that a "god-shot" was anything BUT subjective???

Taste IS subjective. PERIOD. Who wrote the better music, Bach or Beethoven? the Beatles or the Rolling Stones? Who was the better painter, Rembrandt or El Greco? or van Gogh or Picasso? What wine is better, the 2009 Chateau Cache Phloe Chardonnay or the 2010 Domaine Jean Deaux Chardonnay? Which cola is better, Coke or Pepsi? Which is the better espresso blend, Vivace or Verve? Counter Culture or Klatch? Or none of the above?

And if you pick X, and I pick Y, and someone else picks Z -- who's wrong?

"god-shot" to me, Russell, is just that: a serendipitous coming together of the Espresso Gods that result in a truly amazing shot, leaving you speechless. You cannot create a god-shot. You cannot "aim" for it, or attempt to reproduce it. It is something that -- when all is right in the heavens, and the stars perfectly align -- just happens. THAT (to me) is a "god-shot."

It sounded mystical and transcendental not based on what we do and our subjective feelings

I am glad you agree that a god-shot is subjective . If its subjective that means its based on individual subjective taste and a person in any part of their journey can have one, from someoneusing a Gaggia Coffee,a La Pavoni lever, or La Cimbali Junior.

JasonBrandtLewis Said:

Steve? When have I EVER said that a "god-shot" was anything BUT subjective???

Taste IS subjective. PERIOD. Who wrote the better music, Bach or Beethoven? the Beatles or the Rolling Stones? Who was the better painter, Rembrandt or El Greco? or van Gogh or Picasso? What wine is better, the 2009 Chateau Cache Phloe Chardonnay or the 2010 Domaine Jean Deaux Chardonnay? Which cola is better, Coke or Pepsi? Which is the better espresso blend, Vivace or Verve? Counter Culture or Klatch? Or none of the above?

And if you pick X, and I pick Y, and someone else picks Z -- who's wrong?

\What you CAN make is consistently GREAT espresso, and that requires skill, technique, fresh beans . . . we all know the mantra. But if all you're doing, Russell, is making good espresso, remind me never to go to your café -- I'd just be disappointed.

This is why I think contributing here is worth less and less of my time. Thank you Jason, for insulting me, my fellow baristas, and the cafe who's reputation for taking all aspects of coffee very seriously (and with a smile no less) we have worked hard to build. And all over the semantic issue of using "good" instead of "great". I bid you all a good night.

Russel I would say this place needs people who live coffee such as you do. I didnt give his comments a second thought in regards to you. Ive had great espresso from Klatch L.A. andIntelligentsia Chicago,plus many other smaller shops.

russel Said:

This is why I think contributing here is worth less and less of my time. Thank you Jason, for insulting me, my fellow baristas, and the cafe who's reputation for taking all aspects of coffee very seriously (and with a smile no less) we have worked hard to build. And all over the semantic issue of using "good" instead of "great". I bid you all a good night.

Me, too, which is why I go there . . . but why would I go to a place that only gives me "good"? I'm sorry if Russell doesn't appreciate the difference between "good" and "great" -- actually, I'm sure that, in real life, he does -- but I can only go by what he wrote.

Me, too, which is why I go there . . . but why would I go to a place that only gives me "good"? I'm sorry if Russell doesn't appreciate the difference between "good" and "great" -- actually, I'm sure that, in real life, he does -- but I can only go by what he wrote.

I have good to very good to excellent equipment at home so I can repeat great espresso and coffee multiple times a day. I have upgraded through time all of this equipment to suit my needs to continue on the journey of great espresso/coffee, not some RoastMaster's interpretation of what they do to please their customers, not saying I don't sample what is out there just saying I am not limited to that profile or that roast level. I have beans that can be roasted many different ways to give a very different cup. I can play with dose, grind and temperature to also alter the taste, any cafe I walk into I get what I get and that is about it. What came first the home roaster/brewer or the cafe? Hint, this one is simpler then the chicken and the egg.

Rob there are only a handful of people here who know what they are talking about in my opinion and the one thing they all have in common is they dont argue about things. I likethat because they are comfortable with themselves. I see people who brag about machines and things as insecure.Same as those who think god-shots (subjective metaphor) can only belong to a few with a certain machine. Seems to me those who have progressed any distance in this coffee journey have chucked pride out of the back pack to get further on. Frankly I dont know what keeps poor Mark Prince sanewith all this childish fighting. Last night I thought to myself...How does he do it I always have to cleanse what some people say with EGO CLEANSER sold at the better shops.Then let it hang dry outside..it removes all the personal self gratifying B.S.leaving the real stuff.

germantownrob Said:

+1

I have good to very good to excellent equipment at home so I can repeat great espresso and coffee multiple times a day. I have upgraded through time all of this equipment to suit my needs to continue on the journey of great espresso/coffee, not some RoastMaster's interpretation of what they do to please their customers, not saying I don't sample what is out there just saying I am not limited to that profile or that roast level. I have beans that can be roasted many different ways to give a very different cup. I can play with dose, grind and temperature to also alter the taste, any cafe I walk into I get what I get and that is about it. What came first the home roaster/brewer or the cafe? Hint, this one is simpler then the chicken and the egg.

Rob there are only a handful of people here who know what they are talking about in my opinion and the one thing they all have in common is they dont argue about things. I likethat because they are comfortable with themselves. I see people who brag about machines and things as insecure.Same as those who think god-shots (subjective metaphor) can only belong to a few with a certain machine. Seems to me those who have progressed any distance in this coffee journey have chucked pride out of the back pack to get further on. Frankly I dont know what keeps poor Mark Prince sanewith all this childish fighting. Last night I thought to myself...How does he do it I always have to cleanse what some people say with EGO CLEANSER sold at the better shops.Then let it hang dry outside..it removes all the personal self gratifying B.S.leaving the real stuff.

We call them Hacks in the construction world. Some of the most successful contractors I know are hack carpenters and they make a ton of money and hire very good tradesmen that are not hacks and can be trusted.Some of the most skilled craftsmen I know can't make a dime without someone to be their boss and get the jobs. If I want something done the best it can be done I will not go to a business that claims to do it best since really they are best at selling not at doing, I will go to those that do know best and learn how to do what they do or hire them personally do to it for me. I buy my espresso equipment from one place because they stand behind what they sell and don't waste time on selling me what I don't need.

I guess I didn't know the backstory here before walking into this mine field as I'm sure this scuffle didn't start on this thread. Sorry if my contributions were interpreted as against one 'side' or the other. Didn't realize the emotions were so heated or I would have refrained from posting.

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